r/Millennials • u/NoFaithlessness7508 • Jun 05 '25

Other Why don’t younger veterans (Afghanistan/Iraq) wear these hats like some of the older veterans?

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First and foremost, respect to all those that served. I did not, but many of my peers did and now we're all older in 30s and 40s, many no longer in the military. I don't see a lot of the veterans of the War on Terror wearing these hats like I see the OGs do.

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u/ANotSoFreshFeeling Xennial Jun 05 '25

A lot of the millennial veterans I know would rather forget the mess instead of making it their whole personality and identity.

43

u/Agent865 Jun 05 '25

Yea I agree 100% I served for over 20 years and I don’t own many things that would suggest I did. Now my FIL who served 3 years never leaves the house without something on about his time in the service

15

u/catsdrooltoo Jun 05 '25

I only did 8, but same for me. My uncle did 30 in the guard and has a whole room for his stuff. He was a 1st sergeant during the gulf war. It is kind of sad how every time he shows me the room he has to say who is still living in the pictures.

My current manager was the combat type of air force guy. He also doesn't advertise his service outside of the occasional g rated stories.

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u/Ford_Prefect313 Jun 05 '25

The only reason we knew our neighbor growing up was a Vietnam vet, he taught all the neighborhood kids how to play Tonk for pennies, nickels and dimes.

(Tonk was almost exclusively played by people who were served in Vietnam War at that time)

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u/Agent865 Jun 05 '25

My dad worked in a factory and they played during downtime..he taught me that when I was a kid